San Diego

Residential Project Planned Near Fashion Valley Mall

Mission Valley residents sound off about new housing development planned near Fashion Valley Mall

If you think traffic is already congested around Fashion Valley Mall things could be getting tighter soon.

The City Planning Commission is reviewing details of a proposed development that could bring more people to the area.

In the 7000 block of Friars Road just across the street from Nordstrom, in Fashion Valley Mall, is the space where a local development company wants to put new apartments and condos.

It is a sizable project.

But some area travelers and residents fear, with it, will come an equally large traffic headache.

Take a lunch hour, weekend night, or Christmas shopping trip to Fashion Valley Mall and you get a taste of the traffic snarl.

"It’s really congested especially in this little area you get a lot of people getting off the highways and try to go to each mall,” Mission Valley resident Barbara Darden said.

"We kind of travel on off time hours like now we are eating dinner at eight almost, nine o'clock at night,” Barbara’s husband Douglas said.

Landcap Investment bought three office buildings on the opposite side of Friars Road at Via de La Moda entrance to the mall.

Renderings, submitted to San Diego's planning commission show a 249-unit, 8-story apartment building plus, a 70-unit, 9-story luxury condominium tower.

"The more people you have. the more accidents you have. I don't think it is going to be such a great idea,” Douglas said.

NBC 7 reached out to Landcap Investments but no one was available to answer our questions. The Website narrative doesn't address potential traffic problems. There is no mention of a traffic study or whether a Friars road expansion is in the works.

"There are so many businesses and so many stores and shops that it's just going to be real congested on top of the congestion,” Barbara said.

The City Council will eventually need to approve the project. It is currently at the planning commission stage.

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